Let the Rain Come Down
by InnitMarvelous
Summary: Tony is about to learn a family secret that will change his perspective of his father forever.


**AN:** Hi everyone! This is another story I started some time back but never got it finished. I might try finishing it now but you're warned that _I will see your nation cast down_ is my baby and therefore my number one priority!

* * *

"He's finally asleep," Pepper said as she rejoined her husband in the living room. Tonight they had plans, among other things, to watch one of her favorite an old movies together. Tony had agreed to make the popcorn while she finished up tucking Ethan into bed.

However instead of finding a freshly bowl of popcorn waiting for her on the sofa beside him, she found Tony still sitting where she'd left him looking at an unfamiliar piece of paper in his hands. She further realized that he hadn't acknowledged her return to the room at all, and she became concerned when she realized that he had what could only be described as a lost look on his face.

The plans to watch a movie were forgotten, and gently Pepper sat down beside him, and touched his arm. "Tony, is something wrong?"

He blinked, taking his eyes off the paper, and looked at her. "I don't know. I... Here just take a look at this."

She took the paper from him and seeing details she was already familiar with, her eyes skimmed over it. "Tony, why are you showing me your birth certificate?"

"It's not mine, Pep," he replied. "Well it is mine but it's not one I've ever seen before. Take another look at it."

She took a closer look at it, and saw there was another name that preceded his on the paper. "Tony, who is Steven?" She knew what the answer was even before asking the question but like him she was having trouble processing the unexpected information.

"My brother, apparently. My _twin_ brother," he replied, taking the certificate back.

"He was born two minutes before me, so that makes him my _older_ twin brother."

"And you didn't know _anything_ about him until this moment?"

"No, I knew nothing about him. I probably never would have known if SI legal department hadn't decided to do some cleaning out of the old legal papers they have in storage." Tony laughed humorlessly before tossing the files onto the coffee table.

"So what are you going to do?" Pepper asked after a moment of quiet.

"Well, I could attempt to track down my Mom's lawyer and _if_ he's still alive, interrupt whatever he happens to be doing right now."

"Or?"

" _Or_ I can watch the movie my wife has been wanting for us to watch together forever," he said, and pulled her closer to him.

"Tony, are you sure? We can always watch this another time," she said, settling her head onto his shoulder.

Tony wrapped his arm around her, laying a kiss on the top of her head, "Of course, I'm sure. JARVIS, start the movie."

"Yes, sir."

As Pepper snuggled further into his side and the opening credits of the movie started, Tony knew he'd never be able to say what the movie was about later as his eyes glazed, and his thoughts turned towards about the father he had lost, had lost all because of the brother he never knew he had.

* * *

"Hey, how long have you been up?" Pepper asked softly from the nursery door. It had been two days since Tony had made the accidental discovery about his twin brother, and she knew he planned to fly to east to find out the answers to his questions.

"About an hour," he answered just as softly, as not to wake their son who was sleeping away contentedly in his arms.

Pepper came in and sat down beside him, and ran her hand through the baby's fine hair. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Not much," he admitted, watching her hand. "I think I'm just too scared of what else I might find out on my trip… and I wish I wasn't making it alone."

"I know, I wish you weren't either but there are a few things going on here that I just can't ignore."

"Are you going to be able handle taking care of work and Ethan by yourself?"

Pepper nodded, "I should be able to. I may not be able to go with you but I think I'll be able to take care of what needs my attention and take care of him at the same time. I think I'll probably be able to work from home while you're gone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"It's just that I don't have to, you know, this trip right now. I mean it's probably going to wind up being a wild goose chase and- "

The redhead silenced him by touching his cheek, and drew his eyes up to look into hers. "Tony, I know the possibility of what you might find out has you scared but I also know that this is something you _need_ to do. You need to find out where Steven is buried so you can bring him home, and lay him to rest right where he belongs." His eyes fell down to the baby again.

"Besides, I know you and I know that if you don't do this, it will eat at you until it drives you completely insane."

"Yeah, it would," he agreed. "Well, _insaner_. You know that I'm already insane enough as it is without this adding to it."

"I'd argue with you on that but you really are you know."

"Certifiably?"

"Absolutely!"

"You know, I probably should be offended at that but all I want to say is… and what does that make you just as insane since you married me?"

"I think most everyone in the world would say, yeah, that makes me insane because I married you. But you know what? I really don't care what they think because I _love_ you."

When he looked at her again, she saw the question in his eyes, and with a smile said, "No."

"But, Pep, you don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Oh, yes I do, and the answer has to be no."

"But -"

They were cut from any further discussion with Ethan moved, and when he stretched in his daddy's arms, both of them held their breaths to see if he was about to wake up. After making a few more more noises, Ethan snuggled as close as he could to his daddy, and continued dreaming on.

"I think he's going to wake up soon," Pepper said in an almost inaudible whisper.

"Yeah."

"You need to start getting ready soon. Let me take him, and I'll stay with him until he's awake," Pepper said, opening her arms for the baby.

Tony shook his head, "No, I'll stay with him."

"But you'll be late for your flight!"

"As I've said time and again, the beauty of owning your own plane is that you get to decide when take off is."

"Tony," Pepper began, and waited for him to look at her, "You know doing that is really not fair to either the pilot or Happy."

"Why? They both get paid…"

" _Tony_!"

"Relax, Pep, I'm only joking," he said, flashing her a mischievous grin before adding in a serious tone. "I promise you that I won't be _Afghanistan_ late but I am probably going to be a little late leaving here. I want to spend a little more time with our little man here. I _need_ to spend a little more time with him because I have a feeling the next few days… aren't going to be easy at all, and if I can't take you both with me, then I'll just have to be a little late this morning."

Pepper sighed, "All right." She rested her head on the back of her chair, watching them for a moment before closing her eyes.

"Why don't you go back to bed?"

She didn't say anything for second, then yawned. "It's still kinda early, so I think I will. Wake me before you leave?"

"Okay."

With another yawn she stood, kissed him, and then left her two guys to have their time alone.


End file.
